Forgotten
by neon
Summary: Yeah, it's based on a Linkin Park song. I actually get most of my ideas from songs. Lizzie Williams and Cecilia McReady work with Archie and Greg. There aren't any Archie fics out there, so I decided to fix that.
1. Introduction: Forgotten

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Title: Forgotten (Inspired by a Linkin Park song)  
**Author:** Stripped  
**Author's Note:** Greg/OC, Archie/OC…there aren't ANY Archie fics on ff.net, really. Plus, I wanna try another Greg one. Splotches of Nick/OC (Alyssa Leeland), Warrick/OC (Autumn Grady), Grissom/Sara and Catherine/Brass. Lizzie Williams and Cecilia McReady are the OC's names. Too many OC's? Too bad, LOL! I like my OC's. If any of you wanna help me, please, don't hesitate to email me at leavin_it_to_change@hotmail.com.   
**Disclaimer:** I don't own anyone but Lizzie, Cecilia, Alyssa and Autumn, and maybe a couple other characters you haven't seen on TV. Everything else is owned by Alliance, CBS, Jerry Bruckheimer and Anthony Zuiker. Maybe someone could buy them for me for Christmas? I'll be extra good! I promise!

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~~ Introduction: The Loser's Club ~~

Lizzie glanced over at Greg. "Greg! What are you doing? Get your feet off my computer, dude!" she walked over to him and shoved him out of the office chair. She, Archie Johnson and Greg Sanders were hanging around in the A/V lab, where she and Archie worked. Greg worked in DNA, but he was constantly bothering Lizzie and visiting with Archie. "Why don't you go see if Cecilia needs any help? Rather than annoy Arch and myself out of existence…"

"Cecilia sent me out…she needed complete silence for an experiment or something..." Greg shrugged. "Plus, I'm only annoying you, Elizabeth!" he pushed the next available button. Lizzie hated being called Elizabeth, even though it was her full first name. It was also her mother's first name, and if anyone used it, they were either on Lizzie's bad list for the rest of their life, or, in Greg's case, the biggest annoyance in Lizzie's life.

Lizzie's eyes filled with hate. "Greg!" she grumbled, her voice raising with every letter. She sneezed immediately after the word came out of her mouth and her shoulders slumped. "Ok, why is it every time I yell at him, I sneeze?"

Archie laughed and shook his head, then shrugged his shoulders. "You're allergic to anger?" he suggested. "No, that can't be…you're always mad at me. Maybe Greg put a voodoo curse on you…" he grinned, knowing this would distract the attention from his poor friend, who was about to be killed by the vicious Lizzie.

Lizzie's expression changed from aggravation to the urge to kill. She jumped over the empty table and lunged at Archie, only to be interrupted by Cecilia. "Don't hurt the boys, Lizzie! You know they can't defend themselves like we can!" she flashed Greg, then Archie a look as if to say 'I just saved your butt.'

"You're lucky, Archie!" Lizzie stuck her tongue out. "If I knew it was an equal match, I'd cremate you!" she grinned, and shoved him a little. "But we all know that's just not so! I could kill you so fast…"

Archie laughed, and was about to pummel Lizzie to the ground, when he was interrupted by Greg. "Look!" he looked around the room. "It's the losers convention! I say, every…uh Cecilia, what day is it?" he looked at Cecilia for some help. Greg never kept track of the day, let alone the month, or even the time for that matter. He was the most disorganized person that Lizzie, Archie and Cecilia knew, but that was what made them all get along so well. They were all the youngest and most unorganized people at the crime lab.

"Tuesday…" Cecilia grinned, as she told Greg.

"Thanks …I say every Tuesday, after shift is up, we have a meeting of the Loser's Club! The Dishonorable Gregory Sanders Presiding…" Greg stood up with an idiotic grin on his face.

"DIS-honorable?" Cecilia looked at Greg with a look of sheer confusion on her face. "Don't you mean, Honorable?"

"No, I think I get it, Cecy…" Lizzie laughed out loud. "Since it'd be the loser's club, we'd get DISHONOR and DISGRACE, right Greggo?"

Archie shook his head. "I seriously think someone needs to put that guy in a straight jacket…" he mumbled.

Lizzie laughed, and nodded in agreement. "What positions would we all hold, Greggo?" she awaited this answer, with a grin.

Cecilia smiled. She was looking forward to hearing this one. "Really, Greg…let's put that creative brain to work…"

"Let's see…Archie, you could be the Bumbling Vice President…" Greg thought for a second, then looked around at the utterly amused (and somewhat concerned) looks on his friends' faces. "Cecilia, you could be the…Senseless," Archie and Lizzie could have sworn they heard Greg mumble 'sexy,' but Cecilia refused to hear it…"Secretary, and Lizzie could just be the Loseriest Loser of all…OOH! Lizzie the Loser! I like that!"

"Hey!" Lizzie scoffed and put her hands on her hips. "That's low, Sanders, really low!"

"Payback's a bitch, Williams…" Greg grinned at the next half of his comment. "Almost as big of a bitch as you are!"

Archie and Cecilia choked back fits of laughter, as Lizzie's face flushed red with anger. "I'm gonna kill you, Sanders…that is, if Griss doesn't first…" she grinned looking out the window, to see Gil Grissom, their boss, entering the DNA lab to find it empty. "He's looking for you or Cecy. He's holding some folder in his hands…"

Cecilia and Greg exchanged looks of horror, and rushed out of the room, while Lizzie grinned wryly. She then realized that she was still faced with the task of calming Archie, who was still keeled over with laughter. "It WASN'T that funny, Arch…" she glared at him. "Hey, Archie…it's Ecklie!" she knew this would change his mood. Cecilia, Greg, Archie and Lizzie were all terrified of the day shift proprietor, Conrad Ecklie. He thought they were all slackers, who took their job too casually, and would stop at nothing to get them fired.

Sure enough, Archie's face made an about face from laughter to stone-seriousness. "Where?" he asked, looking around.

Lizzie then started laughing uncontrollably. "I got you again!" she grinned, before suddenly being pushed onto the floor. Archie had won, as usual. She stood up, brushed herself off, stuck her tongue out, and sat down (with her back facing Archie), waiting for Grissom, or whoever else, to come in with something for her to do.

~~

The Song – 'Forgotten' -- Linkin Park

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From the top to the bottom   
Bottom to top I stop   
At the core I've forgotten   
In the middle of my thoughts   
Taken far from my safety   
The picture is there   
The memory won't escape me   
But why should I care   
  
There's a place so dark you can't see the end   
Skies cock back and shock that which can't defend   
The rain then sends dripping / acidic question   
Forcefully, the power of suggestion   
Then with the eyes shut / looking thought the rust and rot   
And dust / a small spot of light floods the floor   
And pours over the rusted world of pretend   
The eyes ease open and its dark again   
  
In the memory you'll find me   
Eyes burning up   
The darkness holding me tightly   
Until the sun rises up   
  
Moving all around / screaming of the ups and downs   
Pollution manifested in perpetual sound   
The wheels go round and the sunset creeps behind   
Street lamps, chain-link and concrete   
A little piece of paper with a picture drawn floats   
On down the street till the wind is gone   
The memory now is like the picture was then   
When the paper's crumpled up it can't be perfect again   
  
In the memory you'll find me   
Eyes burning up   
The darkness holding me tightly   
Until the sun rises up   
  
Now you got me caught in the act   
You bring the thought back   
I'm telling you that   
I see it right through you   
  
In the memory you'll find me   
Eyes burning up   
The darkness holding me tightly   
Until the sun rises up 


	2. Chapter One: Under My Umbrella

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Author's Note: I have absolutely no idea where I'm going with this, so wish me luck. I really want at least one Archie fic up, so…here it goes.

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~~ Chapter One: Under My Umbrella ~~

Archie was focused completely on the tape that 'Warrick and Grissom had brought in to him.' So much that Lizzie was kind of curious as to what it was all about. She peered curiously over Archie's shoulder, only to have him turn his head to look right at her. "Must you do that?" he asked.

"Well, you're acting like it's a porno or something…" Lizzie pushed some of her dark-sandy-blonde hair behind her ear. "You haven't taken your eyes away from it once."

"Except a second ago, to look at you…" Archie loved proving Lizzie wrong. It was so much fun to see her reach to strangle him, but stop herself, out of 'maturity.' Or, what he liked to call 'fear of losing her job.'

"Well, that's only because I'm such a worthy eye-target!" she winked in self-promotion. "Otherwise those big brown eyes of yours would still be locked on this…OH MY GOD, ew!" Lizzie's normally jovial, fun eyes were filled with horror and queasiness.

The vision Lizzie was looking at was not porno, actually, this would turn someone way off, rather than on. A girl was having her wrists slain, and being hung onto a wall by her ankles. "Archie…what is this?"

"It's a movie…" he grinned, knowing he'd finally found something that could get to the infamous Lizzie Williams. "It's called 'Death by Donald.' Cool, isn't it?" (**Author's Note:** Random movie title…if I stole anything from anyone's…anything, lol, don't sue!) he asked, turning to her horrified face.

Lizzie blinked her blue eyes numerous times in an attempt to get the image out of her head. "That's terrible, Archie! How can you watch that?" she shook her head. "I mean, honestly!"

"If it bothers you that much, why don't you go see Greggo and Cecilia?" Archie ran a hand through his black hair, and flashed Lizzie a devious grin. "Or, why don't you go see if Grissom is back with whatever it was he has us waiting here for…"

"You know how mean you are, right?" she glowered at him, and sat at her computer, starting to search for something, when she her ears were pierced with the most horrifying and realistic sounding scream she had ever heard in a movie. "Oh MAN!" she rushed to see what had happened. "What the hell did he do to the poor girl?" her lip curled at the sight she was seeing.

"He took her from the wall, and dropped her from a tree…" Archie shushed Lizzie. "You're terrible to watch a movie with you know that? Why do girls always ask so many questions when someone it trying to watch-…" he glanced, purely entertained by the look on Lizzie's face.

She glared angrily at him. "Why must you always act like that?" she asked, shaking her head, and turning her head back to the movie. "Oh my God, does this poor chick ever die?" she wondered, as she watched the poor girl get thrown into a wall and scream in pain.

"More than likely not…Donald's victims never die, they just live with the horrifying experience he put them through…" Archie looked back at the movie, and then quickly back at Lizzie when he heard her scoff, and laugh a little. "What's so funny?"

"You're meaning to tell me someone actually invested enough in this movie to make more than one?" she asked, shaking her head in disbelief, then turning off the movie. "I'm sorry, Archie, watch it at home, ok? I can only handle so much unrealistic torture in one day…why did Griss and Warrick bring this to you, anyhow?"

"I asked them to…"Archie scoffed at Lizzie. "Who do you think you are, anyway?"

Lizzie grinned diabolically as she took a tape out from her handbag. "Let me think about that for a second…I'm Lizzie Williams, A/V technician at the Las Vegas Crime Lab, and I'm taking over the VCR, too."

"Yeah, well," Archie grabbed the tape from her hands, and stole his back. "I'm Archie Johnson, A/V technician at the Las Vegas Crime Lab, and I hate to tell you, but you have another thing coming."

"Really?" Lizzie reached to steal the tape back, only to be interrupted by Ecklie blasting into the room, with the fire of hell in his eyes. "Oh God…" she whispered to herself. "Here goes…" she glanced at Archie, whose face held the same fearful expression as hers did. Ecklie had just caught them the way he loved to catch them; slacking. "Well, hey there, Ecklie, what's shaking?"

"Is Sanders in here?" Ecklie demanded of the two nervous A/V techs. "I've been waiting for two days for him to process a sample, and frankly, I am sick and tried of waiting forever for him…"

"Um, Ecklie…Griss gave Greg the rest of the day off…" Lizzie looked to Archie for support.

"Yeah, Cecilia is probably processing it…" Archie finished explaining.

Ecklie's eyes torched at the mention of Grissom taking over something of his. "Damn him! Why does he always do that? Does he want to ruin me?"

"Uh, no offense, Ecklie, but Cecilia is a good analyst…" Lizzie defended her best friend. "She might even be able to do whatever it was you were waiting for JUST as well as Greg…"

Ecklie practically breathed fire at Lizzie, for even questioning something he said. He hated being questioned, especially by his 'inferiors.' "Believe me, I never said Sanders was good, but I'd prefer him over McReady any day."

Archie shook his head. "You're being kind of sexist…Cecilia is a good-…"

"Watch it, Archie…" Lizzie glared angrily at Ecklie, but directed to Archie. "He may threaten your job, and we all know how much your job means to you."

Archie placed his hand on Lizzie's shoulder, trying to calm her down. "Lizzie…" he cleared his throat. "Watch out. While warning me, you may be endangering yourself."

Lizzie choked back her anger, and cleared her throat. "Thanks Archie…saved me from my loud mouth, as always."

Archie nodded, and looked to Ecklie. Ecklie made everyone but Grissom and Catherine's defenses go straight up. It was like anyone under the age of forty had to bow down before him, or suffer the consequence. "Anyway, Ecklie, what do you want?"

"I already told you, and you were of no help, as usual. Where's McReady?" Ecklie fixated his glance away from Lizzie, because if he were to look at her, he may burn through her with his eyes.

"Probably in the lab…" Archie held Lizzie back, knowing that she wouldn't hesitate at the opportunity to kill Ecklie. "All I can tell you is that she is here. She spends more time than any of us around here."

Lizzie corrected Archie. "With the exception of Grissom and Sara, that is," she pointed out. "Anyway, yeah, she's more than likely in the lab, Ecklie…"

Ecklie didn't even acknowledge the fact that they had given him the information he needed, and rushed out of the room, escaping their presence as quickly as he possibly could. Lizzie laughed, and shook her head. "Thank you, Arch. I was liable to kill him."

"I know…I felt obligated to save you from being questioned by Brass, and talked down upon by Mobely," he winked at her.

"Yeah, I wonder if any of the night shift would even notice that he was gone…" she grinned, then sat back down, hoping that Archie's mind was off the tape. "Probably would…it's be quiet without him to hassle us. Maybe I shouldn't off him, just for that reason."

Archie nodded in agreement. "Just for that reason. Right…"

~~

Greg came into the lab, knowing it was his day off, but not caring. "Hey everyone!" he chirped, coming into the break room, expecting more of a crowd than what he got. "Ok, make that…hey Cecilia."

"Hey, Greg. If you ever leave me with your case load again, I swear, someone will be mopping up your crime scene, k?" Cecilia smiled 'cordially' at Greg. "Oh, and by the way, Connie-rad Ick-lie is on a vendetta for you," Greg and Cecilia always called Ecklie 'Connie-rad Ick-lie.' It was some sort of lame code, which never seemed to work. "Because you left me with his case. I'm very inexperienced, and terrible at what I do, don't you know."

Greg shook his head. "That guy is gonna be the death of me…"

Cecilia got curious. "Greg, I thought you had the day off, anyway. Why come in on your day off?" she asked, pushing some brown hair behind her ear. "If you'd stayed home, you'd be Ecklie-less…"

"Until tomorrow, then he'd have my head…" Greg laughed, then sat down across from Cecilia. "I'll wait for him to find me. He wants to scream at me that bad, he can wait."

Cecilia grinned. Greg had this contagious, quirky personality, that she couldn't seem to get enough of. He was so much fun to be around, and so easy to talk to, unless he made some insane comment about your hair, or your clothes. She watched him take out his CD player, and jumped at the slight blare of music. "You don't like your eardrums, do you?" she asked, grinning. She knew Greg always listened to loud music, but music THAT loud, in headphones was potentially deadly on the ears.

"Huh?" he asked, moving his headphones, then looking across the table at Cecilia.

She grinned, and shook her head. "Eardrum abuse, Greggo…"

"Yes, Grissom Jr.," he stuck his tongue out. "Would you like for me to turn my headphones down, ma'am?"

"I don't care, I was just thinking that your EARS may…" Cecilia grabbed Greg's CD player. "What are you listening to, anyway?" she opened the CD player. "OOH! Good Charlotte! I'm stealing this!" she put the headphones on, turned the volume down slightly, and pushed play.

"Excuse me?" Greg shook his head. "That would be mine!" he reached to grab the CD player, but centimeters before his hand reached it, felt a semi-hard tap on his shoulder.

"Sanders!" Ecklie growled at Greg. "May I speak to you in the hallway, please?"

"Whatever it is, Eck, I didn't do it…" Greg shook his head. "It was Cecy!"

"Hey!" Cecilia shoved Greg gently in the shoulder. "I didn't do anything! I swear it, Ecklie! It was Greg!"

"How dare you blame me? I'm a good boy!" Greg smiled 'angelically' at Cecilia, then at Ecklie. "Right, Ecklie?"

Cecilia laughed at Greg even suggesting that Ecklie call him a good boy. "Greg…you just realize who you asked, right?" she asked, shaking her head, then realizing that Ecklie was glaring at her, and clearing her throat. "Uh, sorry about that, Conrad…"

"Right," Ecklie shook his head, and fixated his glare back on Greg. "Coming, Sanders?" he asked.

Greg hesitantly followed Ecklie into the hall. He gave Cecilia a glance as if to say 'you're planning my funeral, right?' She just laughed, and nodded. "Got ya covered…" she whispered, and winked at him. "Greg was a good friend, I'm gonna miss him…" she chortled softly. After hearing a series of Ecklie's screams and Greg's defenses, she watched an annoyed Greg re-enter the room. "You gonna be ok?" she asked.

He nodded, and sat back down across from her. "Remind me why no one's killed him?" he pleaded.

Cecilia patted Greg's shoulder softly. "Because he's scary, and would probably kill us with one look of his demonic, scary eyes…" she shrugged. "If I had my way, the Loser's Club would rule the lab…"

"Ah, what a world would it be?" Greg sighed, and sank into his seat. At least he'd always have Cecilia there to talk to when he wanted to kill someone. She understood him, whatever he said. And, she maybe even got him. That was rare, and a friendship like that, Greg would always cherish.

~~

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When I close my eyes,  
I remember why I smile.  
Under my umbrella, I'm an accomplished exile.  
These eyes are not your eyes…  
And these eyes are not the color that your arid eyes might be.  
No, I was not around when those eyes of yours decided so,  
So I refuse to yield before the sights you choose to see.  
If this is right, I'd rather be wrong…  
If this is sight, I'd rather be blind.  
~~ 'Under My Umbrella' – Incubus ~~


	3. Chapter Two: Peanut Butter and Peanut Bu...

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~~ Chapter Two: Peanut Butter and Peanut Butter ~~  
(This was actually inspired by a quote from Boy Meets World…)

Greg stared at the piece of paper in front of him. He wasn't even reading it; really, he was kind of distracted (as though that was a new thing). Cecilia had taken over his radio, and now the room was filled with that poppy crap that he hated so much. Christina Aguilera, he assumed. He couldn't even concentrate with it going on. "Cecy, no offense, but can I change this?"

"Why?" Cecilia asked, stepping toward the radio. "I don't even get a full day's worth of my music?" she defended herself.

"Come on, at least make it something I can tolerate…" he begged, giving Cecilia 'the look.' When Greg got a certain pleading look in his eyes, he could convince her to do practically anything. "Like Hoobastank or something…I know you like them, because you were singing along with my CD the other day…"

Cecilia rolled her eyes. "Just a second," she shook her head. "Let me finish this song…" she sighed, turning the volume up a little. "And if I have to listen to what YOU want to listen to, this song is going to be cranked up to high volume…" she hummed to herself, then started to sing softly.

"Oh, come on! She sounds like she's giving birth, for God's sake!" Greg knew that Christina Aguilera was Cecilia's idol, and insulting Christina was like insulting Cecilia. He loved getting into their little battles, because he'd always thought Cecilia looked really hot when she was mad. "I mean, sure, she's hot…but she needs a couple singing lessons…" (**Author's Note:** It pains me to insult Christina Aguilera. She really is my idol, LOL. I think she has the most beautiful voice in the world, just to clear that up.)

Cecilia's eyes narrowed, but she saw Greg's agenda. "Greg…you are such a pain…" she glared at him. "I'm not going to fight with you, ok? I don't know why you so enjoy having screaming matches with me, but no."

Greg looked utterly defeated. "Damn…" he grinned. "Why not?" he decided then, that he would just pester Cecilia until she fought with him. "You're the most interesting one around here to fight with!"

Cecilia shook her head. "Greg…" she tilted her head in frustration. "Seriously…why do you always do this?"

Greg grinned. "To make you ask why…" he winked. There it was…that look. The drool-worthy, Cecilia McReady look, that only she could get. He saw his plan working, and, like he always did, took up the last opportunity to slip out of the room unharmed. "I'm gonna go visit with Lizzie and Archie…see ya later, Cecy…"

Cecilia practically fumed at the nose, but shook her head, and watched Greg leave. He was such a pain in the butt. What was it about him that always made him a constant annoyance to Cecilia? _He's such a…URGH! A guy! He's such a guy!_ Greg had this incomparable charm about him, though. _Greg Sanders…charm…in the same thought, with no 'has no' between them? What is wrong with you, McReady? _She shook her head, then ran after Greg, out into the hall. "Wait a sec!" she grabbed his shoulder.

He turned around and cleared his throat, pretending to be scared. "What's up?" he asked.

"Why do you always do that?" she asked, following him into the break room, and sitting down across from him. "I mean, you know, try to get a rise out of me…" she grinned across the table at him. "I know you're just an annoying being and all, but no one can be THAT annoying without an agenda…"

Greg scoffed. "I'm not THAT bad!" he pouted. "If I was that bad, you wouldn't even associate with me, right?" he folded his arms on the table, and grinned that normal Greg grin that melted Cecilia into a puddle.

"Yeah, but still, why do you always do that, Greg?" she noticed that he was dancing around the topic, which he always did when he got nervous. "Come on, this is Cecilia you're talking to. You can tell me anything!"

He shook his head. "Not this. I can't tell you this, Cecy…no offense to you, or anything, because I trust you more than I trust anyone else here, but this is just something I wanna keep to myself for a while," he sighed, knowing this would more than likely hurt her feelings. If there was one thing Cecilia always valued herself on, it was her ability to talk to people.

Cecilia was surprised. "But, I think I have a right to know, considering it involves me…" she tried not to show the slightest bit of hurt, even though she was, in actuality hurt. "You know you can tell me anything, Greg…"

"Can't you just accept no for an answer, for once in your life?" Greg asked, getting ready to leave the room.

"Don't bother leaving, I'm way ahead of you…" she scoffed, and stood up. "I'm oh, so very sorry for caring!" she stormed out of the room, and about twenty seconds later, Greg heard Christina Aguilera, practically resounding, out of the lab.

He sighed. "Stupid, stupid, STUPID!" he hit himself in the head three times softly. "Why do you always have to be so stupid, Sanders?"

"Because you're a male…it's in the job description…" Lizzie, who was joined by Emma Leeland (her close friend, and a detective at the lab), chimed into the room. Emma and Lizzie always picked on Greg. When they were alone, it was easy to handle, but when they were together, it was about ten times worse. "And when it's you? It IS the job description…but that's beside the point. What'd you do now? And why was Cecilia storming out of the room in a huff?"

"My guess, genius…" Emma glanced sideways at Lizzie. "Is that they have something to do with each other."

"Merci beaucoup for that analysis of the situation, Dr. Leeland…" Lizzie glared at Emma. "It's obvious Griss wasn't sleeping when he hired you…" she rolled her eyes, and glanced back at Greg. "Anyway, back to the problem at hand…what'd you say to Cecy?"

"Nothing…" he shrugged.

Emma caught on, but Lizzie had one of her typical blonde moments, and glared angrily at Greg. "You must have done something to her, to make her react like that…" she told him, clearing her throat.

Emma reached over, grabbed a rather large patch of highlighted blonde hair from Lizzie's shoulder and held it into the air. "Obvious…" she laughed. "Or, should I say…oblivious," she made fun of her friend, only to be smacked in the head, and have her own hair grabbed and held in the air.

"_I_ only have _highlights_of blonde in my hair…so if I'm an idiot, what would that make you?" Lizzie grinned, then looked back at Greg, letting Emma's hair fall back into place. "What did I say to make her hold my hair up like that, anyway? You had to have said something to her…"

"No…ignoramus," Emma glanced at Lizzie out of the corner of her eye. "Cecy prides her self on people's ability to talk to her…and Greg said _nothing_ to her…get it now?" she tapped her friend in the head, knowing there was almost nothing she hated more.

"Thank you, Dr. Leeland," Lizzie batted at Emma's hand, and looked back to Greg. "So, what's so big that you couldn't tell Cecy? Maybe we could tell her for you…" she sat down where Cecilia had been sitting.

"Lizzie, if he couldn't tell Cecy, what the hell makes you think he's gonna tell us?" Emma asked, sitting down in another chair.

Cecilia peered into the room, to see Lizzie and Emma talking to Greg, seemingly getting deep into a conversation, and her eyes narrowed. "So, he can't talk to me, but he can talk to them? Nice…" she mumbled, opening the door. "Hey, Lizzie, hey Emma…hey Greg. Sorry about storming out, I was just a little upset."

Greg shifted uncomfortably in his seat, looked up at Cecilia, and nodded in reply to her apology. "Don't worry about it, C…I understand," he smiled uneasily, and looked back down at the table. 

Emma sensed Greg's discomfort, the second Cecilia had walked into the room, and grinned. She suddenly caught on to what Greg couldn't tell her, and leaned over to whisper something to Lizzie. _"Hey, Lizzie…Greg likes…"_

Lizzie nodded. _"I know, I know…I see it too!" _she interrupted, grinning. _"And, they both have the high-school outlook on love, so they don't know what to do!"_ she looked from Emma to Greg and Cecilia, who were both staring curiously at them. "Uh, sorry you guys…" she chuckled a little.

"Uh, Greg, Ecklie wanted you in the lab, as in, like, five minutes ago…" Cecilia told Greg, as she took the only remaining empty seat. "He seemed like he was in a regular Ecklie frame of mind …so, I'd beware your life…"

Greg sighed. "Oh boy…keep me in your prayers…" he breathed a deep sigh, and brushed quickly out of the room.

"Good luck, Greggo…" Lizzie and Emma laughed in unison, watching the poor guy leave the room as though he were taking his last breaths of fresh air. "Ecklie was harassing Archie and I earlier…it was pretty funny. Archie had to hold me back from killing the guy…" Lizzie told Cecilia and Emma. "Not that I wouldn't have killed Archie, too. He was watching one of those STUPID 'Death by Donald' tapes…I just wanted to rip it out of the VCR, and throw it across the room!"

"Oh man, you mean those ones where the dude keeps killing these girls, and they never die?" Emma asked, noticing the shocked looks on her friends' faces.

"You're meaning to tell me that you actually sat through one of those?" Cecilia asked, knowing the tapes from a visit to the A/V lab with Lizzie and Archie.

"I thought you were way cooler than that, man!" Lizzie shook her head. "How? And when?"

Emma cleared her throat. "At Nick's house…he borrowed one from Archie. It was amusing!" she stuck her tongue out at Lizzie, who was laughing hysterically. "Plus, Nick wouldn't let me shut the damn thing off, no matter how hard I tried to convince him to! I even begged!"

Lizzie calmed down a little, but was still laughing. "So, Cecy…" she gasped out, and took a deep breath. "What was Greg's problem, anyway?" she wondered if Cecilia had caught onto Greg's crush yet. 

Cecilia shrugged. "Greg is just Greg…who knows what goes on in that head of his…" she laughed a little. "That boy drives me insane at times…but he's so adorable…" she sighed, acting like a middle schooler.

Cecilia may not have caught on to Greg's crush on her yet; but she'd sure enough developed one on him. Lizzie cleared her throat, and nudged Emma in the side with her elbow. Emma nodded; knowing what Lizzie was nudging her for, and tapped Cecilia on the shoulder.

Cecilia returned from her dreamy, half-attentive state, back to being fully attentive. "What's up?" she asked, seeing the grins on both Emma and Lizzie's faces. "And what am I missing?"

"You may as well just tell us how you feel about Greg, and get it over with…" Lizzie exclaimed, just as Archie entered the room. A grin slowly crawled across Lizzie's face, as Archie took the seat beside her, and started to interrogate Cecilia as well.

"What are we talking about?" Archie asked Emma, not looking at Lizzie once, since he entered the room. Archie always threw himself into the middle of Lizzie's conversations, regardless of who they were with. "And who are we talking about?"

Lizzie pushed the grin away, and tried to act like she was flushing with anger. "You think you can just butt into other people's conversations, and expect to be included fully?" she asked, her eyes narrowing. "Get outta here, Archie…"

He shook his head. "No, I insist upon being included…" he grinned like a triumphant sixth grader, who had just accomplished the greatest girl-bash in his life.

Lizzie scoffed in disbelief. She just shook her head, not wanting to argue, and turned to Cecilia, continuing to talk to her. But then, realizing that Cecilia's secret may be revealed to Greg, she snapped back around, and stated, "If one word of this conversation gets back to Greg, I will personally hurt you!"

Archie threw his hands into the air, knowing that she wasn't lying. "I won't say a word to Greggo…" he cleared his throat, and looked attentively at Cecilia.

"Ok, if you two will grow up a little, Cecy will get to her story…what's the deal, Cecy?" Emma asked, shaking her head at the idiocy of her friends.

"You guys probably already know…" Cecilia blushed bright red, and grinned a little, looking from one of her friends to another. "But, I really like Greg. Sure, we have nothing in common, but who likes a peanut butter and peanut butter sandwich? You need a little bit of difference, you know?"

Emma gasped, and looked from Cecilia to Lizzie, then to Archie. "She quoted Boy Meets World…this is serious!" she grinned, referring to Cecilia's long remaining obsession with the TV show Boy Meets World. "Maybe we need to bring in the heavy artillery! Call Cupid!"

Lizzie laughed, and joined Emma. "On Comet, on Cupid, on Donner, on Blitzen!" she joked, and laughed a little with Emma.

"Shut it, Lizzie, and you too, Emma…" Cecilia glared at Emma, knowing beforehand that she was going to make fun of that comment. "I seriously do like him. At first, I thought he was really weird…really, REALLY weird…but then, you know, like he does with everyone, he grows on you. And, I started to like him…a lot."

Archie grinned at Lizzie, who was smiling at Cecilia's confession. _She has the most adorable smile in the world. _He told himself, but then refocused on Cecilia's problem. "Maybe we should try to hook them up…play Cupid…" he suggested.

"Why is it that Cupid gets all the attention?" Emma scoffed. "I wanna be Blitzen!"

"Ooh, can I be Vixen?" Lizzie got a sexy tone in her voice. "Why don't ya come and see me sometime?"

"Ok, one part of this attempted hookup is sitting right here, you know?" Cecilia asked, shaking her head. "I wanna do this on my own. I think I'm gonna ask him over to my house for dinner tonight. Maybe tomorrow night…" she stalled as long as she could. But sooner or later, it was going to happen.

~~

__

"No one likes a peanut butter and peanut butter sandwich! They need a little variety! That's where the jelly comes in! No peanut butter and peanut butter, no jelly and jelly…peanut butter and jelly!" – Eric Matthews – Boy Meets World


	4. Chapter Three: Obvious

****

~~ Chapter Three: Obvious ~~  
(Inspired by a Christina Aguilera song)

Cecilia looked over at Lizzie, who was staring vacantly at the TV. She looked as though she were deep in thought, and with Lizzie, that was something scary. Curious, Cecilia moved from her chair to a spot about two feet from Lizzie, to observe her blank look. _Oh yeah…deep in thought…_she grinned. _To interrupt, or not to interrupt? Why am I even debating? _She asked herself, jumping and putting her hand on Lizzie's shoulder. "YO LIZZIE!" she shouted, jumping Lizzie half-senseless.

Lizzie jumped and turned around, about to knock Cecilia in the head. Her grandfather had taught her that whenever someone sneaks up on you, you have to take action, because you never know who it might be. "What the hell, Cecilia? You trying to kill me?" she lowered her hand from the air, and placed it on her chest, huffing out a nervous sigh, then relaxing.

"ME trying to kill **YOU**?" Cecilia came up from her ducked position. "Damn, girl…you need to chill out…" she cleared her throat, and hopped over the couch, sitting beside Lizzie. "What were you thinking about?" she asked, turning off the TV, and leaning against the couch, to be on eye-level with Lizzie.

"Nothing…" Lizzie lied. She'd always been such a horrible liar. So much so, that everyone could see straight through her. "Why do you ask?" she cleared her throat, hoping she hadn't been too transparent.

"Because I know you're lying…tell me everything. In grueling detail, regardless of how long it is…" Cecilia kicked back, knowing she was in for a long story. "And don't hold back on me, or else I'll have to kill you!"

Lizzie shook her head. "No…I was just thinking. I have to go back to the lab, though. Archie'll kill me if I make him work alone for too long…" she stood up. "Sorry, Cecy…I just don't wanna tell anyone, in fear the information may get leaked out. I really, REALLY can't have that happen."

Cecilia was shocked. "Ok…" she sighed. She was always the advice-guru of the lab, and it bugged her that someone had something that they couldn't tell her…particularly Lizzie. "Well, when you feel like telling someone, please don't hesitate to tell me…" she sighed.

Lizzie knew how much Cecilia hated it when she felt someone couldn't count on her. But, instead of caring, she walked out of the break room, waving goodbye to her friend. She peered into the lab that she was so familiar with, to see Archie and Emma, staring at the computer screen. She barely noticed Emma, and focused her attention on Archie. There it was…what she couldn't tell Cecilia…she was starting to like Archie. "Oh my god…what am I doing?" she mumbled to herself, closing her eyes then reopening them. _What am I feeling, and why did it take me so long to see it? I am so lost…_she shook her head quickly, and burst into the A/V lab. "Didja miss me?" she went into normal Lizzie mode, so they wouldn't suspect.

"My life wasn't the same without the wonder, grace and beauty of your presence…" Archie sardonically humored Lizzie, then rolled his eyes, turning back to his movie. "And before you ask, no, this isn't another Donald tape…"

"Good…" she grinned, flopping down in a chair next to Archie, and looking at the TV. "Ok, ew! This is an actual murder tape. I'd greatly have preferred Donald…" she nearly choked on her own words. "I SO did not just say that…"

"Ooh, can I get that in writing?" Emma joked, winking. "Maybe after this tape is over, we can get Nicky in here, and torture Lizzie with the tapes…" she looked from Lizzie to Archie, a huge grin forming on her face.

"Focus, Emma…focus!" Lizzie stuck her tongue out at her friend. "You can't be paying more attention to me than to this! This is work, and I'm…"

"A piece of work?" Archie chuckled. "A piece of work, gone terribly, terribly wrong!" he patted his partner's shoulder.

Lizzie scoffed, and rolled her eyes. "If I'm gone terribly wrong, as you say…what are you?" she asked, expecting some chauvinistic, overconfident, manly answer. "And why in the name of all things Holy did I just ask that?"

"I'm God's gift to women!" Archie winked at both Emma and Lizzie. "Right, girls?" he grinned, hopefully.

Lizzie and Emma exchanged looks of pure amusement, and both burst out laughing. "Oh my GOD…that's the funniest thing I've ever heard in my entire life!" Emma gasped out between fits of laughter.

"Archie…thank you for giving me the biggest laugh I've ever had in my life…" Lizzie cleared her throat, trying to stop laughing. "Of course, you weren't serious, right?" she cleared her throat again, and gasped for a little breath. "How could YOU be God's gift to women? I mean…"

"Ok, ok, I get it!" Archie glowered at both of the girls, and stuck his tongue out. "No, of course I wasn't; how could I have been serious?" his upper lip curled.

Lizzie bit her lower lip and looked at the computer screen, thinking to herself. _What am I doing? Tell him, stupid! Tell him! No…no, not with Emma here…although, I always tell her everything first, I can't. _"What is this, anyway?" she asked, watching the computer.

"A tape of each case in a triple robbery/homicide case…I think it's three different people, but Arch doesn't seem to agree…" Emma shook her head. "Who's the CSI here, and who's the-…"

"A/V specialist?" Lizzie asked. "We actually have just as much credibility as you do in this case, man…how much evidence do you have?" she had taken the CSI training course, and pretty much the only thing stopping her from being on the field was her own desire. 

"We actually already have enough to convict him of one…we're just trying to see if these three match up…" Emma explained, turning her head from Lizzie to the computer screen. "Why?"

Lizzie held her index finger up, signaling for Emma to be quiet for a second. She rolled her chair to the computer, and put the image onto a large projector on the wall. "Look at this…" she typed in a few words, and put all three images onto the projector. "I'm focusing the pixels in each of the pictures to his arm; the only available spot…" she explained, as the scene on the projector changed from the suspects' whole bodies, to just their forearms.

Archie nodded in agreement with Lizzie. "I see what you mean…" he looked over her shoulder at the screen, then up at the projector.

"Oh yeah!" Emma walked up beside the projector. "The birthmark on the arm of each of them is exactly the same…" she looked closely. "Is that enough, I wonder…" she thought for a second.

"Probably not…the defense would probably argue that it was, like, pencilled on, or something…" Lizzie assumed. "You know how it goes, man…" she ran a hand through her hair, and looked from the computer screen to Emma.

Emma nodded in agreement. "Yeah…I do."

Nick entered the room, bursting with pride. "Hey guys, what's up?" he waved as he walked right past Archie and Lizzie, and straight to Emma. Not waiting for them to answer, he immediately waved a folder in Emma's face. "Guess what I found?"

"An engagement ring?" Emma grinned wittily, as she kissed Nick on the cheek.

Nick smiled a little. "No, not yet, hun…but it'll make you just as excited…" he opened the folder. "Look…credit card receipts that place our criminal at each of the crime scenes on the day of the crime…"

"Ooh…" Emma looked at the receipts, and then pointed at the projector. "Look at what Lizzie discovered…"

"What?" Nick asked, looking up at the screen.

"Each of the criminals-or…well, you get it-has an identical birthmark on the exact same spot on his right forearm…" Lizzie explained to Nick, as she shook her head. "Oh, and by the way, nothing's up…" she answered his previous question, then glanced at Archie to see him shaking his head as well.

"Yeah, nothing here, either…" Archie laughed a little, then leaned back in his chair.

Nick ignored their sarcastic jokes, and grinned at Lizzie's discovery. "Good job, Williams…you may have just gotten us a conviction…"

"Yay!" Lizzie borrowed Sara's trademark, the 'horribly sarcastic yay.' "Can I have a hero party, like on Winnie the Pooh, now?"

Nick scoffed, waved goodbye and left the room.

Emma laughed and started to follow Nick. "See you guys later, and thanks Lizzie…for finding that…"

"No prob, Bob…" Lizzie waved goodbye, and slid her chair over to her computer. "Fare-thee-well, ciaoness, sayonara and that good stuff…"

"Ooh, a hint of sarcasm, there?" Emma asked, then looked at Archie. "See ya, Arch…" she shook her head.

"See ya, Emma…" he nodded a goodbye as she walked out of the room, then looked over at Lizzie. "So, tell me, what crawled up your butt and made you the queen of sarcasm today?" he asked.

That comment was followed by a look of sheer disgust and offense from Lizzie. "Well, maybe if you'd asked me nicer, you'd find out!" she scoffed, and typed in her email password.

"Ok, here…we'll try it this way. What's wrong, Lizzie, oh Queen of Sarcastic Comments…" he laughed a little, sliding his chair over next to her.

She debated on whether or not to tell him, then decided to go with the subtle approach. "Ok, fine…let me put it this way…" she started to explain. "Have you ever been so stuck in your ways that you couldn't see straight, and then all of a sudden, one day, something hit you, with the force of a sack of bricks?" she slapped her hands together for emphasis.

Archie knew what she was talking about, because just recently, a fact had struck him, as well…he liked Lizzie. He simply nodded, and urged for her to continue explaining. "Yeah…why?"

Lizzie shrugged, then continued explaining. "I'm kinda going through that right now…and I'm wondering why it took me so long to realize it."

"Sometimes people know things all along, but try to hide it from themselves…you know what I mean?" Archie explained, trying not to patronize. "Then, when the truth comes to them, like you said, it hits them like a sack of bricks…" he winked, mocking her hand slapping motion.

"Did Griss give you an anthropology lecture, or something?" Lizzie asked, trying to lighten the mood in the room, a little.

Archie followed her lead, and turned the conversation around. "No, but it's kinda hard to associate with him and not learn something, you know what I mean?" he laughed a little, and slid back over to his computer.

~~

Cecilia sighed, getting very bored. She and Greg had been alone in the lab practically all day, and neither of them had said a word to each other. And, frankly, when neither of them spoke, it scared her. Things were getting weird, and she had no idea why. Sure, she liked him, but she'd vowed to herself to keep it normal. She looked over at him, and was wondering whether or not she should talk to him. _Keep it normal, Cecilia…go talk to him._ _He's your friend…you can do this._ She slowly walked up to him, and tapped his shoulder. "Hey, Greg…" she started off a little shakily.

Greg looked up from the microscope, and cleared his throat. "Oh…hey Cecy…what's up?" he asked, popping his back. "Man…after leaning against that table for an hour…your back starts to kill…" he laughed a little. He looked to her for approval of that statement, after sitting in his chair. 

"Tell me about it…" she nodded in agreement. He made it so hard for her to be normal. Every little thing he did…all those little Gregisms…they drove her insane. She grinned, and peered into the microscope. "What are you looking at, anyway?"

"A piece of hair…that's what Ecklie brought in, and threatened my life if I didn't look over it A.S.A.P.…" Greg shook his head. "I swear, that guy is gonna be the death of me…" he leaned back in the office chair, only to have it tip over and fall to the floor.

Cecilia choked back a fit of laughter, and ran up to Greg to see if he was ok. "Oh man…are you ok?" she asked, helping him off the floor.

Greg sighed. "Yeah, I guess…" he shrugged. "I seem to like the floor, though…either that or it likes me."

"Good…" Cecilia cleared her throat quickly, and tried to hold back her laughter, but it all just poured out. "I'm sorry, Greg…I'm so sorry…it's just so funny."

Greg shook his head. "Maybe I should go get a jester's hat…you all seem to think I'm the lab jester…" he shoved Cecilia into her chair.

Cecilia scoffed, and stood back up. "Do you wanna die, Greg?" she shoved him with her shoulder. "Because that's what you're saying to me…" she grinned. "Shall we take this outside?" she threatened.

"Was that a threat, from the Senseless Secretary of the Losers Club?" Greg stood up, and puffed his chest out.

Cecilia laughed. "I'm planning a mutiny…Arch, Lizzie and I are gonna get together, and take over…" she put her fists up, and started to bounce like a boxer. "I'll get Warrick in here!" she stuck her tongue out.

Greg immediately sat down. "No need for that…" he calmed down. "I don't really wanna be cremated," he thought for a second. _Should I do this? Sure…there's no reason not to. What's the worst that could happen? She'd say no…it's worth a try. _"Hey, Cecilia…what are you doing later on tonight?"

Cecilia thought for a split second. _Is he asking me out? Oh my God…_ "Nothing, why?" she was hopeful.

"Wanna come to my house for dinner and a movie?" he remembered a quote from some episode of Boy Meets World that Cecilia had been watching in the break room. (**Author's Note: **This is the quote Greg was thinking about-_"Dinner and a movie…essential date night ideas. Dinner, movie…movie, dinner…dinner, dinner…movie, movie…that's what you wanna do, Mr. Feeny…" – Eric Matthews, after being asked by Mr. Feeny where to take his niece who was visiting town._)

Cecilia stifled an enthusiastic 'YES!' and tried to look pensive. "Sure, that sounds like fun!" she remained as calm as she could.

"Ok…cool…when would be a good time for you?" he asked, ecstatic that she'd said yes. "So I can know when to have dinner ready?"

"You cook?" she asked, honestly surprised. "Oh…I thought we'd just be having Chinese or something…"

"If you want to, that's cool with me…" he shrugged, as nervous as she was. "I just thought that maybe-…"

"Oh…no, I wasn't complaining…I was just surprised!" Cecilia explained, with a smile. "How about six-thirty?" she asked.

"Sounds great…" he smiled, proud that he'd finally asked her out. He didn't think he'd had it in him…

~~  
_  
I don't know what I'm doing anymore.  
I'm feeling like a little girl.   
Caught up in emotions, I'm out of control…isn't it obvious?  
Do you see my hands they tremble…  
Wonder why I can't look you in the eye?  
Don't know how long I can keep this inside…isn't it obvious?  
_~~ 'Obvious' – Christina Aguilera ~~

****

Author's Note: I didn't think this chapter was ever gonna end…but here it is!


	5. Chapter Four: A Moment Like This

****

~~ Chapter Four: A Moment Like This ~~

~~

Cecilia smiled, sitting in her living room, trying about thirty different styles for her hair. It was finally happening…the day she'd dreamed about since she started working at the lab. She and Greg were going on a date of some sort. Well, she was going, he was staying put, but frankly she didn't care. Any opportunity for more time in his presence was good enough for her. _Why was I cursed with brown hair? Why couldn't I have Lizzie's hair? Sandy blonde would go so much better with my complexion…_she complained to herself. "Do I wanna so casual, or formal? Damn…I should have asked…" she considered it for a second. "This _IS _Greg…and he's always casual…if he's formal, he can always change…but it won't be formal. It's only the first date…" she nodded, pulling out her favorite outfit, consisting of a blue, fitted t-shirt, and black flare jeans. "Is it even a date? Maybe we're just getting together as two friends…" she told herself, as she grabbed her keys, and headed to her car. "Wait…maybe I should bring something formal, just in case…no, now you're just worrying too much, Cecilia. Just go," she told herself, staying on her course. "This is Greg…he's more casual about things than even you are. He's cool, he won't laugh at you…just go," she opened the car door.

~~

Greg hummed along to the tune of 'Warning' by Incubus. It would have been refreshing, he assumed, to have let Cecilia hear him singing along with 'actual music,' as she called it, so he hoped the song ended before she got to his house. He stared at the door, grinning. He couldn't cook, so he'd ordered pizza, and he hoped the pizza guy got there before she did, too. He'd borrowed three of Archie's Donald tapes, so they could have a good laugh, and vowed to himself not to take a sample of her DNA. He then realized that he still had to get dressed. He ran into the bedroom, and quickly changed into one of his famous crazy shirts (a button up, with vertical yellow and black stripes), and a pair of baggy black jeans. After he'd changed, he came back into the living room to watch a little TV before Cecilia arrived. Just as he'd leaned back into the couch, he heard a knock on the door. "Ugh…just a second…you had to wait until I sat-…" he opened the door, and much to his surprise, he got not only the pizza boy, but Cecilia too. "Whoa…aren't I the popular one?"

"You cook, huh?" Cecilia laughed, nodded her head at the pizza boy. "Is this your personal chef?"

"Thanks, how much will that be?" he ignored Cecilia, and pointed to the couch. "Sit, Ubu, sit…"

Cecilia shook her head. "This is going to be an interesting night…" she walked past Greg and sat on the couch. "Not like every night with Greg isn't interesting…" she laughed a little, and leaned into the couch.

Greg paid the pizza guy, and brought the pizza into the living room. "Oh, come on…you didn't seriously think I could cook, did you?" he asked, grinning.

"No…what, were you planning on pawning off this pizza as your own?" she shook her head in disbelief. 

"Yeah, why?" he asked, shrugging. "Sounded like a good plan at the time…"

"It just sounds like something I would do…it's funny, really…" Cecilia smiled. "Because I did the exact same thing on a date in high school…" she reminisced. "I finally got a date with the school jock, which really surprised me…and I said that I could cook really well. When he showed up, I had Chinese food all laid out…he didn't buy it, and never asked me out again."

Greg laughed. "Well…he's a loser…obviously you went to great extents to impress him, and-…"

"Thanks, Greg," Cecilia interrupted him before he started to ramble. "And yeah, he was pretty much one of those lunk-heads who only had any common knowledge of sports…"

Greg nodded, and Cecilia could have sworn she saw him wince a little bit. "I know those guys all too well…they put me through personal hell all through high-school, and even somewhat in college. I thought that in college maybe they'd grow up a little, but I couldn't have been more wrong…" he realized that he was giving Cecilia way more personal information than he had given basically anyone else, and stopped talking.

"You can talk to me, Greg…I know exactly what you're going through…" Cecilia put her hand gently on his shoulder, and leaned back against the couch. "We can talk over this delicious pizza you so graciously cooked for me…" she winked and grinned, glancing at the pizza.

Greg shrugged his shoulders. "It's basically the same old story…" he reached for a slice of pizza, and avoided Cecilia's glance. "People can be so callous and uncaring sometimes, and they have no knowledge of common decency…"

"Which is why lab geeks like us get along better with the emotionally flat…like Grissom and Sara…" she took a piece of pizza as well. "And each other…"

"We're not emotionally flat…as a matter of fact, I think you, Lizzie, Archie and myself are the most emotionally vital people in the lab…" Greg exclaimed with a mouthful of pizza, muffling it a little.

"Yeah, really…who else in the world could speak with a mouthful of food, and not be hated!" Cecilia winked at Greg. "Right?" she gently shoved him in the shoulder. 

He swallowed the pizza in his mouth and nodded a yes. "Sorry about that…I normally talk to the TV with my mouth full of whatever I'm eating…probably shouldn't do that with company around, right?"

Cecilia shook her head in disagreement. "It's no big…it's just me. I do the same thing all the time, don't worry about it. Just be yourself."

Greg smiled. "So, do you wanna just talk, or watch a movie?" he held up the Donald tapes, then looked up at Cecilia's horrified facial expression. "I'll take that as a 'no movie?'"

Cecilia nodded as enthusiastically as she ever had in her entire life. "Lizzie tells me those are the worst movies ever made…is that true?"

"Yeah, but I just thought we could get a good laugh…" he shrugged, setting the movies on the table. "Talking is better by far, though…"

Cecilia kicked back, and prepared for a great night. She and Greg could always talk, no matter what it was about. And he was so much fun to be around. "So…since we're gonna talk…" she got up and turned the radio off. "Maybe we shouldn't have Simple Plan blaring in the background, huh?" she asked.

"Let me get this straight…Cecilia DOESN'T want music for once?" Greg asked, surprised. "What got you so into music anyway?" he knew that music was one of Cecilia's greatest passions, and that she'd dreamed of being a singer, he'd just never actually heard her sing loud enough to know if she was any good. (**Author's Note:** This aspect of Cecilia is based on me…I love to sing.)

Cecilia shrugged, and sat down, not wanting to answer his question. "Nothing, really…you're into music, too…and so is Sara…and basically everyone else-…"

"Not as much as you are, though…come on, what's wrong? Just sing a couple bars of something we both like…for me?" he begged, giving Cecilia the look, once again.

Cecilia sighed, and cleared her throat. "I'm not going to sing much, though…and it's going to be something I like…" she hummed her starting note, and began to sing. _"I'm sinking slowly, so hurry hold me, your hand is all I have to keep me hanging on. Please can you tell me, so I can finally see where you go when you're gone? If you want to, I can save you…I can take you away from here. So lonely inside, so busy out there, and all you wanted was somebody who cares…"_ (**All You Wanted – Michelle Branch**) she crooned.

Greg acted as though he were an audience, and stood up and applauded. "Encore! Bravisimo!" he smiled. "Now, have a seat, Miss Star…" he was even more in love with her than he had been. 

Cecilia smacked Greg in the arm. "Was I really that bad?" she asked, ignoring his applause. "I mean…to get the fake cheers, and everything? Man…must have been horrid!" she huffed.

"IT WASN'T FAKE!" Greg scoffed, shoving Cecilia in the arm, and making her fall to the couch. "Damn you! You have a great voice, so shush."

"Fine!" Cecilia pouted, and did as she was told. She closed her mouth, not intending upon opening it again for the rest of the night.

Greg glowered at her. "If you don't talk, I'll kiss you!" he grinned demonically. "Right smack on the lips!"

Cecilia's mouth hung open. She debated whether or not to talk, but went with her initial plan of staying silent. She flashed Greg a glance as if to say, "You wouldn't!" and put her hands on her hips.

"You don't think I would?" he asked, referring to her glance. "You REALLY don't think I would?"

She shook her head, justifying what Greg had said, only to be taken by surprise by the soft touch of Greg's lips on hers. "Whoa…" she said as he pulled away. He'd taken her by surprise. She didn't think he was actually going to do it.

"Teaches you to doubt me!" he smiled wryly after he pulled away from her. "Don't do it again, ok?"

Cecilia simply nodded, a grin crawling across her face. "Gotcha, Sanders…" she stated. "I won't doubt you again."

~~

Archie walked past the break room, on his way out of the lab, and saw Lizzie sitting at the table. She seemed more stressed than usual, and she looked to be almost crying over a picture. Curious as to what could be hounding the usually tough Lizzie, almost to tears, he walked into the break room, and took the seat beside her.

Hearing Archie enter the room, Lizzie automatically flipped over the picture. It was a picture of Greg, Cecilia, Archie and herself at Greg's house about four months ago. In the picture, it looked as though someone were forcing Archie to put his arm around her, and the look on his face really bothered Lizzie, feeling as she did about him. The second she heard him enter the room, though, she turned her frown into a smile. "Hey-ya, Arch…" she forced a cheery tone.

"What's the matter, Lizzie? You look like you were about to cry…" he told her, setting his hand on her shoulder.

Lizzie shrugged. "Just thinking is all. You know how it is when stupid people think. Not a pretty picture…"

"Which is why I'm wondering what's wrong…you're not stupid, Lizzie. Come on, you can tell me what's-…" Archie began.

Lizzie shook her head abruptly. "No, I can't," she felt her eyes welling up, but pushed the tears away, not wanting to cry in front of him. "I would love to be able to, Archie, but I can't…"

Archie sighed, trying not to be too offended. He looked into her eyes, and saw the tears being pushed back, though, and it nearly killed him. She didn't deserve that. It took all that he had inside him, not to just wrap his arms around her and make it all go away. He wasn't even sure he had the ability to do that. He nodded, trying to understand. "It's ok, Lizzie…I can't expect you to be able to just tell me everything…"

With comments like that, it was so hard for Lizzie to keep anything from him. She wanted to reach over and kiss him, just to show him how deeply she felt. It had to wait, though, no matter how deeply she wanted to die inside, and no matter how deeply she loved him. _No matter how much I love him…oh my God…did I just say love? I meant like. Like, yeah…I only like him. And even so, there has to be a better time. I can't tell him yet. There's gonna be a better time. _She hoped there would be a better time…

~~

__

Some people wait a lifetime for a moment like this  
Some people search forever for that one special kiss.  
Oh, I can't believe it's happening to me  
Some people wait a lifetime for a moment like this.  
Could this be the greatest love of all?  
I wanna know if you will catch me when I fall.  
So, let me tell you this…  
Some people wait a lifetime for a moment like this.  
**~~ 'A Moment Like This' – Kelly Clarkson ~~**


	6. Chapter Five: Friday

****

~~ Chapter Five: Friday ~~  
(Inspired by a Daniel Bedingfield song)

~~

Greg sat in the lab, and watched Cecilia roll layers of lip-gloss over her lips, and shook his head. "How can women wear that crap?" he asked, the sweet smell of fruit-punch filling the room. "And smell themselves afterward?"

"_This crap,_ as you call it," she rubbed her lips together, then grinned slightly. "Was on my lips when you kissed me last night."

"That was the sweet taste?" he asked, sliding the chair toward hers, and smiling wide. "I liked it…can I kiss you again?"

Cecilia grinned, and crossed her arms. "Why should I let you? You just made fun of the sweet taste you love so much…"

Greg pouted and slid up beside her in his chair. "Because you enjoyed the kiss just as much as I did, and it would pain you to have to wait much longer for another one. That's why…"

"What makes you so sure?" Cecilia laughed at Greg's sudden presumptuousness. It was cute, very cute. She slid over to the other side of the table. "You're so adorable, maybe I'll make you wait…no matter how much it pains me!"

Greg scoffed, and pouted. "You wouldn't do that to me, would you Cecy? I'm too sweet and charming, and…you like me too much!"

Cecilia chuckled. "Would that be a boost of confidence, or arrogance?" she asked, as Emma stood in the doorway, watching the whole scene. "Sure, last night's kiss was nice, but what if it was a momentary increase in skill!"

"Whoa…Cecy, you kissed Greg?" Emma walked through the door, a smile crossing her lips. "When and where was this?"

Cecilia sighed and looked up at Emma. "Figures…every time I have a private conversation, either Emerald or Lizard enters the room. No, actually, Em, Greg kissed me last night at his house, as though it's any of your business. I feel like I'm giving the gossip report for a high-school newspaper…"

Emma grinned, and shoved Cecilia's shoulder. "Did I not tell you that he liked you? Finally, Greg takes some initiative…"

Greg sighed, and moved his chair over to the other side of the room. "Far be it for me to interrupt girl talk, man…" he stuck his tongue out at the girls. "I suppose I'll go get Lizzie, so this convention can be complete, then I'll go talk to Arch and Nick…"

"Nick's out on the field with Warrick right now, so it'll just be you and Arch today…" Emma explained, as Greg left the room. Then she turned back to Cecilia. "So, was it like you expected?"

"You act like I've never been kissed before. It was a kiss…and only a lip, 'mwah' kiss type thing…" Cecilia laughed at Emma, and leaned back in her chair. "And even if it wasn't, I wouldn't tell you. I don't kiss-and-tell, man!"

Emma glanced sideways at her friend. Whenever she kissed, or even talked to a guy she liked, either Emma or Lizzie was the first to know. It was quite funny, really. "You know, that's the funniest lie I've ever heard in my life! You tell Lizzie and I more than we usually prefer to know, right Lizzie?" she asked, as Lizzie entered the room.

"Right…" Lizzie was putting on her front, as usual. "What am I saying right to?" she asked, sitting on the table.

"That Emma is an intrusive, nosey moron," Cecilia began, before Emma could even open her mouth. "Who doesn't know how to leave Cecilia's business to Cecilia…" she explained to Lizzie, who was nearly keeled over with laughter.

"Ok, Cec-Elmo…" Lizzie shook her head, then looked at Emma. "What did I really say 'right' to, though?" she asked, knowing that Cecilia had lied to her. "It better not have been anything to make me look stupid."

"As if that's hard…" Emma grinned, then shook her head. "You walked right into that…but yeah…you just said that Cecilia kisses-and-tells more than anyone else we know."

"Oh, yeah…so?" Lizzie asked, sitting down. "Hold up…did you kiss Greg?" a smile formed on Lizzie's face, as the turned from Emma to Cecilia, and the smile grew as Cecilia nodded a yes. "Oh my God! You did?" she asked, her mouth hanging open. "When? Last night at his house?"

"Yeah…" Cecilia grinned wryly. "I probably would have done more…but I don't get down on the first night, as you all know," she shrugged her shoulders, and pushed her hair back into a ponytail. "Plus, I was afraid he'd collect my DNA or something…"

Lizzie laughed, then crossed her legs on the table. "So, tell me…what did you guys do last night at his house? Was it freaky?"

"No, Lizzie…" Cecilia shook her head. "It was a normal house…and he had a huge CD and DVD collection…" she explained, the image still vividly pasted onto her brain. "He tried to pawn off delivery pizza as his own…"

Lizzie shook her head. "Meaning he has no idea how to cook. But then again, he is a man. Oh my God…did I just call Greg a man?" she reached to her right and picked up a beaker. "Emma, take this and hit me over the head…"

Emma shook her head, and grabbed the beaker from Lizzie's hand. "You just remember when you come at me with your big bad lawsuit that you asked me to."

"There will be none of that in here, you understand me?" Cecilia grabbed the beaker from Emma's hand and sat down. "Plus, Greg is far more of a man that Archie is…at least he made an effort…"

Lizzie looked up at Cecilia, a look of pure hurt in her eyes. "How did you find out that I…and how the hell could you say that even if you do know?" she asked, tears filling her eyes. "You're my damn friend, Cecilia!"

Cecilia looked at Emma, whose face held the same shocked look as her own did. "I didn't know anything…it was meant as a joke…" she explained to her friend, who now had a tear falling down her cheek. "Lizzie, I didn't mean to say anything bad, I really didn't!" she defended her intent.

Lizzie shook her head, and started to cry. "I like him, guys. I really, really like him. There's nothing I wouldn't do to be able to tell him, but I can't, and it's killing me. Every time I look at him, I'm overcome with an urge to either cry my eyes out, or smile wider than I ever have in my life. It's like when I'm around him, the better half of me comes out, you know, and all I can do is smile…" she explained. "Or, if you mean lately, when I'm around him, my worst half comes out, and all I wanna do is cry."

Emma looked at Lizzie, who was resting her head in her hands, and crying. She got up, and walked up to her, hugged her and let her cry. "Lizzie, you need to tell Archie this, not us…" she explained. 

"Seriously, you can't just hide these things, because if you try to, eventually it'll get too hard to keep it all inside, and then you'll blurt it all out one day at the worst time…" Cecilia explained. "He cares about you, and even if he doesn't feel the same, I'm sure he'll remain your friend no matter what!"

Lizzie glared at Cecilia. "That's not the most comforting thing you could have said, is it?" she asked, forcing out a quick laugh.

Cecilia shook her head. "It was the only thing that came to mind…I'm sorry Lizzie…" she joined the hug.

~~

Archie shook his head and leaned back in the chair. "You're weird, man…why did you compare Cecilia to cherry lip gloss?" he asked. "And why are you talking about lip gloss to begin with? Isn't that a woman's topic?" he grinned at his friend. "Has Cecy turned you into a girly man?"

"Because she was wearing cherry lip gloss last night when I kissed her…" Greg smiled from ear to ear. "Arch…maybe if you had someone like her you'd understand…I mean, sure, I don't ex**_act_**ly have her yet, but I'm pretty close."

Archie shrugged, his mind immediately going to Lizzie. He imagined how she must have kissed, and peered out the door hoping she'd walk by. "What's it like to actually feel like you belong with someone? Is that how you feel, I mean?" he asked, turning his head back to Greg.

"I don't think I'm exactly committed to her yet…" Greg asked, sensing Archie's problem. Archie wanted a commitment. He didn't know how a simple kiss, though, led to all of this talk of commitment. Maybe, because he did feel that Cecilia was the one he was supposed to commit to? That had to be it, because every bone in his body was telling him so. "I mean, I'd love to commit to her more than anything, but I don't think she's quite ready to commit after one kiss…"

"Maybe she is…women are suckers for men who are into commitment, you know?" Archie told Greg, leaning back in his chair. "I bet if you asked Cecilia to be yours, you'd get the biggest, most romantic kiss you'll ever dream of getting."

Greg shrugged, and grinned a little. "I still think it's too soon to be presuming things like that, you know? I mean, I love Cecy, yes…but I really do think it's too soon. But onto the REAL problem…" he looked straight at Archie. "Why don't you ask Lizzie out? I surprised myself by asking Cecy, I think you could surprise yourself…"

Archie shook his head. "Dating at work, no offense, man, but it's not professional. I mean, what if something were to go on to cause she and I to break up? I don't think I'd be able to face her every day…" he explained, each word he said paining him more.

"You're too cautious…" Greg shook his head. "This woman is perfect for you, Archie! You and she get along better than practically anyone I know…and you always have fun together. So what's the problem?"

"I don't think I could handle the thought of ever losing her…" Archie explained to his friend. "Imagine how you'd feel if you ever lost Cecilia…Lizzie is-…"

Greg sat up straight. "I don't think you could lose Lizzie. That girl, if she finds the right man, will be like one of those cheesy, romantic love songs she and Cecilia listen to. She'd be almost as perfect with you as Cecilia will be with me, when I get the nerve to ask," he explained, smiling.

Archie picked his Pepsi up from the table and took a drink. "I don't know, Greg. Seriously, I feel like such an idiot for even feeling this way. I mean, not for feeling it about Lizzie, because there's no one more deserving of someone's heart…" he explained. "But for feeling this way all together. You know how romances always end up…"

"Not all of them!" Greg shook his head in disagreement. "Some romances, like Nick and Emma's, will never end. I can see those two together when they're old and wrinkled. Scary sight, yes, but I see it."

"Yeah, that's not too hard to envision. She loves him almost as much as he loves her…" Archie sighed, looking out the door. It was a very slow day. Too bad for that, too, because if it wasn't, someone would come into the room and end this conversation, or ambush, rather.

"You love that woman…what makes you so nervous? It's deeper than what you're saying, and I know it…" Greg closed the door, getting Archie's attention immediately. "Fear of failure?"

"You're not going to give up until I tell you, are you?" Archie shook his head, and took another drink of soda. "It's a touch of that, yes, but it's also a little bit of nervousness…I feel like I'm in high-school again whenever I'm around her…" he laughed at how stupid that sounded to him.

"I feel the exact same way around Cecilia, but you just need to suck it up, man," Greg explained as sensitively as he could. "It sounds a lot harder than it is, really, and once I got it out in the open, I felt so much better…" he sat back in the chair, and put his feet on the table. 

"You're the most persistent person I know, do you know that?" Archie sighed. "I don't know, Greg. If she turns me down, I'll feel like driving my car into a wall…"

"If she says no, Arch, I'll get into the passengers seat…" Greg reassured his friend. "Just ask her…what can it hurt?"

__

A lot…Archie thought, but instead of saying it, he just nodded. He was about to ask his dream girl to dinner, and he had no idea if it was a great idea, or a huge mistake.

~~

__

My head is a hurricane, my heart is a touch insane.  
And my body can't sleep to dream, and my eyes open up to scream.  
And my mouth is a thin straight line, as I'm struggling to pass the time.  
And my crime is that I'm living without her.  
And the morning soon will come, and the day's only almost done.  
And the clock says it's half-past five, but the sun is still in the sky.  
Disorientated, insatiated, how long I've waited…   
~~ 'Friday' – Daniel Bedingfield ~~


	7. Chapter Six: I Can't Read You

****

~~ Chapter Six: I Can't Read You ~~  
(Inspired by an Daniel Bedignfield song)

****

Author's Note: _I'm back, after a long, LONG break. I was working on other fics, and still am, so if it takes me a little bit longer to post a chapter, that's why. BUT, I decided to come back to this one as well. I figured, I was on such a roll when I left this one, why leave it as it was? So, here I am…and here's chapter six!  
Oh, and by the way…I'm changing something. In this, both Tammy Felton/Melissa Marlowe and Darin Hansom lived._

This is only Lizzie, Archie. You know her so well, you could write a biography on her! You know what she lies, what she doesn't like…why can't you just ask her out? Archie racked his brain, trying to think of what to say to Lizzie. _Give me one good reason not to just go up there and ask her out, right here, right now!_ He demanded of himself, knowing that he could answer himself right away. _Because she could say no…and if she says yes, where would you take her that she hasn't already been, aside from the seventh stage of heaven?_ He laughed at his Greg moment, then tried to think of another reason. _Because she's so, everything, and you're so…nothing. Just do it, Archie…you can do this, really, you can…and if she says no, your shift is over anyway, so you can just go home. And when you have to see her tomorrow, she'll have forgotten._

Lizzie turned around, and saw Archie debating back and forth in his head, and started to get worried. She stood up, and walked up to him. "Arch?" she asked, putting her hand on his shoulder, to see if he was ok. "You look a little confused," she then thought. _Confused, but hot…_and laughed at the fact that she sounded like a rabid *NSYNC teenybopper fan, who had just seen Justin Timberlake pondering a serious question. That would be a funny sight to see.

He jumped, and looked toward Lizzie. Seeing her there only doubled his confusion, if not tripled it. He stared at her for a second, and chose his words cautiously. "Too much Greg will do that to ya…" he laughed. "I was just in there talking to him, seeking advice about girls."

"Let me get this straight, Archie…" Lizzie glanced sideways at Archie. "You went to Greg…Greg SANDERS…for advice about women?" she seemed a little more than surprised. As a matter of fact, she looked downright horrified. "It probably would have been safer to go to a rock, or a tree, before you went to Greg…" she grinned, and patted Archie on the shoulder. "But, you came to the right place!" she led him to the table, cursing whoever this woman was that Archie needed advice about, in the back of her head. "I'm willing to help with anything!"

Archie was wishing he'd kept his mouth shut, but while she guided him to the table, he carefully selected what he was going to say. "Are you sure it's cool?" he asked, hoping she'd disagree, and say she hated giving advice, so he could get out of there before either of their feelings got hurt.

__

No…she thought. "Yeah, always!" she told him, a smile on her face. "I'm Dear Lizzie, the Vegas Crime Lab Night Shift Advice Columnist!" she smirked from ear to ear at the title she'd just given herself. "Hey, we should really have that! I'm going to bring that up to Grissom!"

Archie grinned. Lizzie could always make him laugh, no matter what was on his mind. "You do realize that he'd just yell at you, and tell you what a stupid idea it was, right?" he asked, thinking the same thing himself.

Lizzie's face lowered. She immediately changed the subject. "So, Archie…" she began in a monotone. "What's the problem?" she stuck her tongue out at her friend, and crossed her arms at her chest. "Mr. Meany-Pants!"

Archie laughed, and tried to word this as best he could, without giving anything critical away. "Well, Doctor, let's see…" he poked fun at Lizzie. "I've liked this girl since we first met. She just has something about her; I can't help but be attracted to her. But I'm afraid that if I ask her out, she'll reject me, even worse, or laugh at me. I know this sounds so high-school like, but it just hasn't gotten any easier since then, you know?"

Lizzie got that compassionate look in her eyes, but in her mind, she was on the verge of an emotional breakdown. She had just heard the same thing she felt about Archie, only directed to someone else. She decided to be a total hypocrite, and tell him to go for it. "Well, what is there to lose?" she asked, shrugging. "Obviously, if she can say no to a charmer like you, she has to have some serious issues!" she smiled sincerely at him. Whatever she'd expected him to say, though, she definitely didn't think it would be what it was…

"Ok…" Archie thought about his next action for about a split second, and hoped it wasn't a mistake. "Lizzie, would you like to go out to dinner with me tomorrow?" he almost immediately bit his tongue. That hadn't come out at all like he wanted it to. He wanted to sound casual, but he sounded like Grissom asking Sara out for their trillionth anniversary. He felt so lame.

Lizzie was shocked, almost out of existence, but smiled and said, "I'd love to, Archie…" Her heart was doing back flips, and she was trying not to smile too wide, but she couldn't help it. The smile on her face had grown from just being there, to being about a mile wide. "What time will you pick me up?" she asked.

Archie was in a state of complete and unbreakable bliss. "Does eight sound good?" he asked, standing up from his chair, feeling like a new man. She had said yes to him, and he could barely believe it. Lizzie nodded, as Archie turned to leave, after saying, "See you tomorrow at eight, then!"

She breathed a deep, ecstatic sigh, as soon as he'd left the room. "Did that just happen?" she asked herself, then exited the room, and ran to the first one of her friends she saw. "AAH! EMMA! CECY! OH MY GOSH, GUYS!" she ran into the break room, where Cecilia, Greg, Nick and Emma were sitting, watching TV.

"SH!" Emma yelled, staring at the TV. "They just said on the news that William Spencer broke Melissa Marlowe out of jail…" she told Lizzie, who gasped, and covered her mouth immediately.

She thought for a second. "Archie and I had a huge hand in putting them away. Oh no…what if they want revenge?" she rushed out of the room, to try and find Archie, and warn him. "ARCH!"

~~

"Relax, Tammy…we're just nabbing the first person that comes out of the building. Whoever it is will have an effect on Williams and Johnson, either way! And if it's that Grissom guy, or that Catherine chick, then we'll just wait for the next one!" Darin Hanson reassured a nervous Tammy Felton, while sitting outside the lab, behind a bush. "And if it's Williams or Johnson, we'll be lucky!" the second Tammy and Darin found out who put them away, they were out for blood. Particularly, Lizzie's and Archie's.

Tammy grinned a little. "It will be nice to get revenge, I'll tell you that for sure…" she looked at the door, and smiled wide. "Oh, look…it's our first customer! And look who it is!" she nodded her head at Archie, who looked to be sitting on top of the world. "Oh, and look who's coming! Which one should we take?" she asked, pointing to Lizzie, who was rushing to the door after Archie.

"No…take him, right after A/V Princess says whatever she wants to say," Darin watched Lizzie open the door, and rush up behind Archie.

"ARCHIE! ARCHIE!" Lizzie ran up behind him, and grabbed his arm. "Archie…Tammy Felton and Darin Hanson escaped!" she told the scared senseless Archie, as he turned around.

"Whoa…wait…WHAT?" he asked, trying to get Lizzie to slow down a little. "Try saying that again…at human pace, rather than talking like a cheerleader on speed!"

Lizzie scoffed, and slowed down a little. "Ok, one…I don't talk like a cheerleader on speed!" she pushed Archie, and stuck her tongue out. "And two, I have some sorta bad news…and there's no easy way to say it. Archie…Tammy Felton and Darin Hanson escaped…"

Archie's jaw dropped, and his eyes widened. "You're…kidding, right?" he asked, freezing like a deer caught in headlights. "Are they in Vegas?" he looked around, honestly scared. They both knew that Tammy and Darin were out for their blood. They had publicly announced it after their sentencing hearing.

"I think so…we need to be careful, Arch…" she set her hand on his shoulder. "Maybe we should just chill at one of our houses, rather than go out tomorrow. Just to be on the safe side…" she suggested, hoping Archie wouldn't be offended.

Archie agreed. "Yeah, we can still have fun. I'll order Chinese food, and we can watch a movie…" he shrugged, and nodded.

"Not a Death by Donald tape, I hope…" she grinned, as she waved goodbye to Archie, and turned to head back into the building. "Because if it is, then consider this date officially cancelled!"

"Aw! Why?" he joked, watching her walk away. "See you tomorrow, Lizzie…"

"See ya, Arch…" she winked as she closed the door behind her.

Just as the door clicked shut, Archie was pummeled to the ground from behind, and gagged. "Watch it, Johnson!" a familiar female voice came from in front of him. "One wrong move, and I rush in there and grab Little Miss Princess Lizzie, and take her in your place. Got it?"

Archie simply nodded. He looked up to see who his assailant was, only to be overcome by horror to see that it was Tammy Felton. That must have meant that the person who had attacked him to the ground was Darin Hanson. Fear pulsed through Archie's body, as he was led abruptly to a very unfamiliar car. He looked toward his car. _They'll know something's wrong when my car is still sitting there, after I've 'gone home.' _He reassured himself. _Then, they'll come looking for me. I'll be fine! Plus, this place is ridden with security cameras. And Lizzie, being the second most talented person I know with a computer, she'll know what happened. I hope so, anyway._

~~

__

I'm never shy but this is different.  
I can't explain the way I'm feeling tonight.  
I'm losing control of my heart.  
Tell me what can I do to make you happy?  
Nothing I ever say seems to come out right.  
I'm losing control of my heart.  
And I wish that I could be, Another better part of me,   
Can't hear what you're thinking.  
Maybe if you just let go, you'd open up your heart.  
~~ 'I Can't Read You' – Daniel Bedingfield ~~


	8. Chapter Seven: On My Own

****

~~ Chapter Seven: On My Own ~~  
(For those of you who haven't been fortunate enough to see Les Miserables, that song is from that play. Ooh, and I'm bringing Bobby in this chapter. BOBBY ROCKS MY WORLD! LOL!)

~~

Lizzie smiled, as she left the lab. The only six people left in there were the usual last four people to leave: Grissom, Sara, Greg and Cecilia, plus Nick and Emma. Lizzie, Archie, Emma, Nick and Bobby Dawson (the ballistics technician) always left in a group of three, right before those four did. Tonight, though, it was just her and Bobby. Nick and Emma decided to stay a little later, to hang out with Greg and Cecilia until they got results back from some case they were working on together. Bobby was like a brother to Lizzie. They always talked, and he was always giving her advice. She had just told him about how she and Archie were going to hang out at his house tomorrow, rather than go to the movies, and Bobby just shook his head and laughed. "Looks like he couldn't wait until tomorrow to see you…" Bobby pointed to Archie's car. "That kid is crazy about you, you know that, right?" he asked, as he turned to head to his car.

"No, wait…Bobby, if Archie came back to see me, why…something doesn't feel right," Lizzie approached Archie's car. "This car hasn't moved since lunch break…" she shook her head. "Something is definitely wrong here, Bobby," she looked around, trying to find some sign of Archie's whereabouts.

"What do you think happened?" Bobby asked, shaking his head at the shakiness of his colleague. Then it struck him. He remembered the news report. "Lizzie, we need to go tell Grissom. You can look at the security camera tapes. If it happened in the parking lot…"

Lizzie didn't wait for another word, and rushed back into the crime lab. "GRISS!" she yelled, knowing that the only remaining people there wouldn't get mad if she yelled. "GRISS! COME HERE!"

Bobby put his hand on Lizzie's shoulder, trying to calm her down. "Lizzie, you need to go to his office…" he told her, starting to worry.

Nick, Emma, Greg and Cecilia all came rushing out of the DNA lab, while Sara and Grissom came running from Grissom's office. "Lizzie? What's wrong?" Emma asked, sensing the trouble in the atmosphere.

Lizzie could barely breathe, let alone speak. She looked at Bobby, hoping he could tell them what had just gone down. Bobby nodded, and looked at all the anxious faces, awaiting his explanation. "Lizzie thinks Archie was kidnapped," he nodded, then saying, "And so do I."

Emma, Cecilia and Sara gasped, and all rushed to hug Lizzie, who they all knew was probably torn up inside. Nick, Greg, Grissom and Bobby all exchanged looks of shock. "So, what do we do?" Greg asked, wanting to be as involved as he could.

"Well, first we need to find out if it's true…do any of you know where Archie lives?" Grissom asked, glancing at all the younger people in the room.

Greg stepped up to the plate. It was admirable how Greg was a squeamish kid at the sight of anything too weird, but when it came to his friends, he was willing to do anything, even go to a potential crime scene. "Yeah, he and I hang out all the time. I'll bring Cecy to check his place out," he suggested.

Lizzie looked at Greg and Cecilia, and flashed them a smile, as though to thank them. "What are the rest of us going to do?" she asked, looking back to Grissom.

"Well, Emma and Nick can check out the front parking lot, around Archie's car and everything, and Sara and I'll look around close to the building…" Grissom looked to Sara, to see if this worked for her.

Sara nodded. "We'll find him, Lizzie, no matter where he is…" she reassured her friend, who was calming down slightly.

"Thanks, Sara…" Lizzie had a small smile on her face. "I'll go look at the security cameras. Bobby, you can go home if you want to…" she told him, knowing that was what he originally had planned.

"No, it's ok…I'll stay here with you, Lizzie. You don't want to be alone right now, do you?" Bobby asked Lizzie, hanging his coat back up on the coat rack, and giving Lizzie a comforting hug.

Bobby knew Lizzie so well. She was thankful for that, too. "No, I don't. Thanks…" she hugged Bobby back, and turned to head to the A/V lab.

~~

Greg looked at Cecilia, who was knocking on Archie's door. "Arch, you in there?" she asked. "Archie! If you're in there, and not decent, cover up! Greg and I are coming in!" she reached up, and pulled a bobby pin out of her hair.

"Cecilia! You're breaking and entering!" Greg yelled. "I swear…we better not tell Grissom about that…" he kissed Cecilia, as she stood up straight. "You'd get in so much trouble, it wouldn't even be funny!"

Cecilia accomplished her goal, and opened the door a crack. "Archie?" she called, entering the house. "Ok, either Archie hasn't been home, or he's a neat freak…" she looked around, noticing that everything in the one room apartment was perfectly clean. "My guess is he hasn't been home…" she sighed. "Poor Lizzie. She's probably freaking out right now…" Cecilia looked at Greg.

Greg was grinning at a picture that was sitting on Archie's coffee table. "Look," he held it up to Cecilia. "You remember this?"

Cecilia immediately laughed. Greg was holding up a picture that had been taken at Sara's Halloween party. Cecilia was dressed as Britney á la 'Baby One More Time,' Greg was dressed as a pimp, Lizzie was dressed a fairy, and Archie was dressed as a really realistic looking vampire. Cecilia and Greg were having a 'push fight,' and Lizzie was jumping onto Archie's back. "Lizzie kept calling me your ho all night…she said I had the outfit right…and wasn't that the night that Archie confessed to liking Lizzie?"

"Yes! It was! That was hysterical!" Greg put the picture back on the table. "I still have my copy of that picture…it's in my picture box…" he laughed. "I should get that framed."

"Get a copy, too…for me. Now, Archie's not here, and I feel intrusive, so let's go…" Cecilia put her arm around Greg's back, and sighed. "I wonder where he is…"

"Kinda creepy to think, isn't it?" Greg put his arm around Cecilia's shoulders, and led her to his car. "That could have been any one of us…this job may have its perks, but it definitely has some serious downs…" 

"Yeah, and imagine what's going on through Lizzie's head right now?" Cecilia opened the front door to the building. "She must be terrified…" 

"We'll just have to be there for her double time, although I'm sure we'd already planned to…" he kissed Cecilia on the cheek. "We'll work extra long hours with her, and make sure she doesn't feel alone…"

"You're so considerate, baby!" Cecilia lay her head on Greg's shoulder. "Bobby is gonna stay at the lab with her tonight…" she told him. "But, I'm sure she could use a little more company."

"I bet you anything it's going to be a Crime Lab slumber party…" Greg opened the passenger side door for Cecilia. "Only, no one will get any sleep."

"So, a Crime Lab 'up all night' party?" Cecilia asked, just before Greg closed the door, and looked out the window to see him nod his head 'yes.'

~~

Sara watched Nick and Emma approach them, after completely failing to find anything around Archie's car. "I don't think they were anywhere near his car…" Emma explained, approaching Sara, who was kneeling over a cloth on the ground. "What's that?" she asked.

"It's a handkerchief," she explained to Emma, who handed Sara the unused pair of rubber gloves in her hand. "I'm wondering what this would be doing here…" she put it in a bag, and handed it to Emma. "Can you give this to Greg or Cecilia when they get back, so they can bring it to the lab and test it?"

Emma nodded. "Definitely," She looked at Nick, who was helping Grissom look around a bush. "I'll be right back, Sar…it looks like Nick and Griss found something…" she turned and headed toward Nick.

"Wait for me…that was all I found here…" Sara stood up, and followed Emma. "Plus, it looks a lot more eventful over there," she walked with Emma, over to see their men. After a couple seconds worth of silence, she looked at Emma and said, "Imagine with poor Lizzie is going through right now?"

Emma shrugged her shoulders, and said, "I don't really have to imagine…I kind of know. Remember the whole Nigel Crane incident?" she asked, referring to the time when Nick was pushed out of a second story window, by a stalker named Nigel Crane.

"How could I have forgotten?" Sara asked, half-smiling. "That was horrid on you, wasn't it?" she shook her head. "Kind of like the whole Syd Goggle thing…when Catherine told me what happened, I nearly had a heart attack!" she remembered the time that Grissom was almost killed by a murder suspect, Syd Goggle. "God, sometimes I wonder if this job is even worth it, at the end of the day!"

"Yeah, it is…" Emma replied to Sara's gripe. "It may be dangerous, but when you think of it, we bring a lot of justice. I mean, sure, we've all had some pretty creepy times, but I know that none of us would quit even if we wanted to," she observed out loud, as they came up behind Nick and Grissom. 

Sara smiled at Emma. For one of the youngest people at the lab, she was definitely one of the smartest. "That's true, Em…"

Emma turned her attention from Sara to Nick and Grissom. "What did you guys find?" she asked, putting her hand on Nick's shoulder. "Anything good?"

"Well, Griss found something…apparently someone cut themselves on their way out of this bush…" Nick pointed to a blood drop on the ground. "It could be fresh, but at the same time, it could be old…"

"Swab it…I'll bring it to Greg along with this…" Emma held up the handkerchief, just as Greg and Cecilia pulled into the parking lot.

~~

Lizzie stared at the computer screen, and tried to figure out who it was that kidnapped Archie. "Ok…there's Archie…" she pointed at the only familiar looking face. "Now…let me see…"

"Hey, coffee man to the rescue!" Bobby entered the room, carrying two cups of coffee. "Figured you'd need a little wake-me-up…" he told her, as he set a cup of coffee beside her, and sat down.

"Ah, Bobby, you're a saint…" she exclaimed, as she immediately took a drink. "Tell me…am I overlooking something obvious here?" she asked, as she stared at the computer screen. 

"Yes…" Bobby nodded. "Remember the two people who escaped from prison?" he asked, pointing to the TV in the corner of the room, as the report came on.

"Oh my God…" Lizzie covered her mouth, and almost choked on her coffee. "Tammy and Darin! How could I have forgotten?" she shouted, as she furiously pounded the table.

"There's so much going on right now, Lizzie, it probably just slipped your mind…it's ok," Bobby reassured her, placing his hand on her shoulder.

"Ok…let me enhance the pixels here…" she typed in a couple words, clicked a couple buttons, and right away, the picture on the screen was a lot clearer. "And let me zoom in right here…"

"That's her!" Bobby exclaimed. "That's Tammy Felton!" he looked at the computer screen, and then to the TV screen. "And that's…"

"Darin Hanson!" Lizzie's heart could have pretty much stopped. "Oh my God, what did they do to him?" She jumped up, and ran outside to meet up with everyone else. "Guys!" she shouted, as she burst through the door. "We saw who got Archie!" she gasped for breath.

"Who?" Emma asked, looking from Lizzie to Bobby, who had just exited the lab. "Lizzie said you found out who has Archie?" she decided to let Bobby explain, figuring he could probably do a better job at this point in time.

"Yeah, we were looking at the security tapes…and we saw Darin Hanson and Tammy Felton attacking Archie," Bobby explained to everyone.

They had found out who had kidnapped Archie, when it had happened, what they had used and how they had done it, and they already knew why it had happened. Now all they needed to know was where he was…

~~

__

On my own, pretending he's beside me.  
All alone, I walk with him till morning.  
Without him I feel his arms around me.  
And when I loose my way,   
I close my eyes and he has found me  
In the rain the pavement shines like silver.  
All the lights are misty in the river.  
In the darkness, the trees are full of starlight,  
And all I see is him and me, forever and forever.  
And I know, it's only in my mind,  
That I'm talking to myself and not to him.  
And although I know that he is blind,  
Still I say there's a way for us.


	9. Chapter Eight: With You

****

~~ Chapter Eight: With You ~~  
(Inspired by a Linkin Park song)

~~

The first thing Archie noticed, before he even opened his eyes, was that his head felt like a two-ton truck had just fallen on it. He expected to open his eyes and see his Lizzie picture, which always rested beside his bed. But what he saw definitely wasn't Lizzie's beauty. He was sitting in a dark, lonely room. It looked almost like a basement, only without windows, and with a barred door. There was a small mattress resting in the corner, with only a small blanket. Frankly, he felt kind of girlish right now, because he just wanted to break down and cry right there. He wouldn't, and couldn't do that, though. He had to remain strong, and keep his wits about him, if he wanted to make it through this alive. Apparently, Darin and Tammy had found his beeper and cell phone in his jacket, because he didn't even have that with him. He looked at his watch. It was eight p.m., on the dot. He was supposed to be with Lizzie right now, cherishing every little thing about her. Only, rather than that, he was in a very unfamiliar place, cherishing the fact that he was even alive.

He wondered if Lizzie even knew he was gone yet, or if she just thought he'd forgotten about their date. Lizzie was a smart girl. She could put two and two together. And even if she didn't, he knew that Greg would tell her that he wouldn't miss a night with her for his life, so if he was gone, there had to be a logical reason. If they knew he was gone, he knew that they were doing an all out search for him. He reached to his back pocket, for his wallet. At least they hadn't gotten to that. _Ok, so maybe they did…_he thought, noticing that all his money was missing. _It was only twenty bucks, anyway._ He told himself, continuing to look through his wallet. He opened up the picture flaps. The only picture there was the Halloween party picture. He found it funny that he was in a life-or-death situation, and all he could think about was Lizzie. _"Williams, you must be something special…" _he mumbled to himself. _"I don't even know if I'm going to live to see tomorrow, and still, all I can think about is you."_

As soon as those words exited his mouth, Tammy Felton's voice was heard through the room. "Awake, I see?" she asked, as she opened the door. She tried to be threatening, but Archie was not scared at all.

"Unfortunately…" Archie mumbled, rolling over, and turning his head from Tammy. "Now, can you leave me alone, so I can NOT be awake anymore?" he asked her, rolling his eyes a little.

"I could always make it so you won't wake up anymore, if you're not careful…" she hissed out a threat, glaring at Archie. "I just thought I'd let you know that Darin and I are keeping a close eye on your little friends at the crime lab, and they're going insane. Grissom and Sidle are doing all the on the street work, while Stokes and Leeland stay at the lab looking things up. Sanders, McReady and…that weapons tech…what's his name?" she asked looking to Archie for an answer. At first, he didn't give her one, so she asked again. "What's the WEAPONS tech's name?" she repeated, a little more forcefully this time, getting in Archie's face.

"Bobby…" Archie spat. "Bobby Dawson."

"Oh, right…Dawson," she continued, after finding out Bobby's name. "Sanders, Dawson and McReady have all they can do to keep little Miss Williams sane. They're all doing their fair share, yes, but McReady has sent herself into a panic."

Archie's eyes softened with concern. "Is she ok?" he asked, hating that he was asking the woman who kidnapped him if Lizzie was ok. He wished that he could find out for himself.

"Maybe…" she grinned evilly, hoping this would bring Archie some sort of pain. "You should have never gotten Darin and I convicted! Then you wouldn't be in this mess!"

"I'd get you convicted a million times more, now!" he snorted out a laugh, then looked away from Tammy, who was now fuming with anger.

"WATCH IT, Archie!" she shouted, pulling out a gun. "One more outburst like that, and I pop a cap into you!" she took the safety off. "Or, maybe I'll have Darin put a cap in Williams!"

Archie's eyes widened, at the thought of anyone shooting Lizzie. He tried to calm himself down, so that Tammy couldn't see his fear. He closed his eyes, suppressing the tears that so wanted to flow. He missed Lizzie so much, and he would get shot a million times if it meant being able to see her again. But, he did want to see her again, so he had to be sure he made it through this alive, and that she didn't get hurt in the process. He swallowed the lump in his throat, and fixated his glance away from Tammy.

Tammy laughed again, shook her head, then left the room, leaving Archie alone with his thoughts, and his picture.

~~

Greg and Cecilia had graciously offered for Lizzie to stay with them at Greg's house, but rather than be a menace, she decided to just go home. She hadn't gotten a wink of sleep all afternoon, and when eight 'o clock rolled around, she pushed herself to get out of the house and go to work. Even though it was her day off, she wasn't going to be spending it with Archie, as she'd planned, so she grabbed her things, threw her coat on, and left for work.

She got out of the car, and tried to put on a façade. Maybe if she acted normal, people wouldn't treat her like a child that had just lost her puppy. In her head, though, she was cursing the day she and Archie ever put Darin Hanson and Tammy Felton behind bars. She walked into the lab, and the first person she saw was Sara, who immediately wrapped her arms around Lizzie in a hug. Lizzie was flattered, but she really wanted to be alone at this point in time. She either wanted to be alone, or with Bobby, Cecilia or Emma. Those three were the only people who understood how much she loved Archie. "Thanks, Sara…" she forced herself to smile, and hug her friend back.

"Are you feeling any better today?" Sara stupidly asked. Sure, she meant well, but that question was a little needless.

Lizzie shrugged, and nodded a little. Obviously, she was lying. "I'll be fine, but thanks for asking…" she humored Sara.

Sara half-smiled, and walked away. Right away, Lizzie headed to see Cecilia, Bobby or Emma, whoever she came across first. Fortunately for her, the next person she saw was Emma. She walked into the break room, and sat next to Emma, who was sitting on the couch, watching the news. "Em…" she called her attention.

Emma immediately turned to Lizzie, and flashed her a comforting look. "Hey, Lizzie…" she could see the true pain in her friend's eyes. "I'm so sorry…" she told her, not knowing what else to say.

Lizzie didn't care what she said. She just wanted to be around someone who knew what was going on in her mind. Right now, she felt like dying, and knew that the only one who could really make her feel any better was Archie. And that wasn't going to happen. So, she had to suck it up, and be strong. "Thanks…" she smiled as sincerely as she could at Emma. "I am so worried…"

"That's understandable…" Emma nodded at her, and shut the TV off, seeing an announcement about Archie come on the news. She didn't want Lizzie to see that, because she knew it would bother her. "I know exactly how you feel, Lizzie…"

Lizzie knew she was telling the truth. She remembered how Emma had reacted when Nigel Crane pushed Nick out the window. She was completely somber for the next couple days, until Nick told her that it was ok to smile. "Thanks, Em…" she swallowed the lump in her throat. "I should be with him right now, you know?" she asked, looking at her watch. "We should be lounging at his apartment, watching movies. But are we? No!" she sounded angry. "I don't even know what I'm supposed to do…"

"Just be strong, Lizzie. I know how hard it is, but you have to try. If Archie tries to contact you, and you're all bent out of shape, he'll panic," Emma was completely calm, and started to describe what she had done when Nick was stuck in bed, and doubting himself.

"But what if he doesn't try to contact me? When should I start to be seriously worried?" Lizzie asked, not knowing much of anything at this point in time. She was already too consumed with worry. She didn't think she could handle much more. She'd probably burst or something.

Emma shook her head. "Don't ever worry too much. If you start to worry too much, then your worst fears start to come true…" she told her. "Archie won't let anything happen to him. He's a strong guy…"

Lizzie smiled, nodded a thank you to Emma, and left the room. "See ya later…" she said, before she closed the door.

"Later, Lizzie…" Emma smiled back at Lizzie, and watched her wave to Nick as she walked by. Nick walked into the room, and sat beside Emma. "Hey baby…" she smiled, and kissed him on the cheek, as he sat down.

Nick lay down, and put his head in Emma's lap. "Everyone here can relate to Lizzie on some level or another…but I can relate to Arch…" he sighed. "Poor kid must be terrified…" he looked up at her, hoping for some kind of support.

Indeed, he got it. Emma wrapped her arms around Nick's shoulders, and kissed him softly. "Nicky, you know that he'll be fine. He's got the best team out there looking for him. And Lizzie won't give up if her life depends on it."

Nick nodded, knowing Emma was right, and he just leaned into her. "Thanks, Em. You always know just what to say!"

Emma smiled. She had made her Nicky happy again. All was right with the world.

~~

Lizzie approached Grissom's office, to tell him that she was there. Just as she raised her hand to knock on the door, her cell phone rang. She reached to her pocket to take it out, and pushed the button. "Hello?" she answered.

"Lizzie?" the voice on the other end of the line almost stopped Lizzie's heart…

~~

__

I woke up in a dream today, to the cold and the static,  
Put my cold feet on the floor. Forgot all about yesterday,  
Remembering, I'm pretending to be where I'm not anymore.  
A little taste of hypocrisy and I'm left in the wake of the mistakes,  
Slow to react, even though you're so close to me,  
You're still so distant, and I can't bring you back.  
It's true, the way I feel was promised by your face.  
The sound of your voice, painted on my memories.  
Even if you're not with me, I'm with you.  
You, now I see, keeping everything inside.  
(With you) You, now I see, even when I close my eyes.  
~~ 'With You' – Linkin Park ~~


End file.
